George Takei’s Allegiance, review: Star Trek actor’s affecting tale of forgotten racism
★★★★☆
George Takei’s most famously known from the original cast of Star Trek, but in recent years has been celebrated as an LGBTQ role model following his decision to come out in 2005 aged 68. It’s curious that Allegiance, the play Takei calls his “legacy” play, omits queer themes. But nevertheless, it’s a hammerblow critique on human rights violations of a different kind. Allegiance is about historical cases of racism from White US forces in the Second World War towards Japanese Americans.
George Takei is hauntingly good at evoking the anger of an entire generation wronged
In the Second World War, residents of Japanese descent were taken from their homes and held in hostile camps following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Then they were asked to fight for America in the war and punished physically if they objected. It was a horrific injustice that has been wrongly forgotten by history.
Takei was five when he was held in one such camp and this fictional musical is enriched with his family’s stories and experiences from the era. But sentimentality is spared in exchange for full throttle singing and dancing. Allegiance’s songs achieve a good balance of light and shade, bringing forward the plot rather than acting as interludes between the script.
George Takei appears limited physically on stage, and isn’t pivotal in as many scenes as you’d think, but he bookends the musical well with nostalgic flashbacks to the period, set in the present day, where he laments relationships lost. Takei has gentle star power, evoking anger particularly well, which is haunting given he’s the only cast member who personally experienced this history. Takei stands for a whole generation wronged, playing an octogenarian version of squaddy Sam Kimura, a role shared by Telly Leung who represents the character during the 1940s.
There are a couple of tepid numbers which don’t quite get going, including Act 1’s I Oughta Go, but they are the exceptions. Our Time Now, What Makes a Man, Resist and Stronger Than Before are rousing rallying calls to resistance and resilience, odes to the brave men who fought for America despite the horrific way their people were treated. Others refused to go to war and were equally brave. Musician and lyricist Jay Kuo has already had success with this show on Broadway and it is no wonder producers want to fund more versions.
Kuo also wrote the script, alongside Marc Acito and Loreznco Thione, which sometimes tries to get through too much. Often it tells the story literally rather than showing us character development with action and emotion, but thankfully there’s never a song far away. Special callout to Aynrand Ferrer who is spectacular as Kei Kimura, Sam’s sister, belting like there’s no tomorrow to reach every orifice of the Charing Cross Theatre.
Let’s hope Takei’s urgent musical can live long and prosper.
George Takei’s Allegiance runs at the Charing Cross Theatre until 8 April
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Lead photo: Danny Kaan